ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Cluster 23 Parishes Work Together To Implement Plan

JUNE 2001
(Parish Release - 6/9-10/01)

Cluster 23 / Philadelphia-South Vicariate

The Cluster 23 Implementation Team held its eleventh meeting on May 15, 2001.

St. Charles Borromeo Parish presented a formal report of their recent Feasibility Study of their school. The Study made the following recommendations:

• Institute a reasonable tuition plan that will create parity in tuition rates among the Catholic elementary schools in the Cluster.

• Restore the parish day care program.
• Institute a family tuition plan.
• Provide training/workshops for school faculty and administration in the areas of improving inter-personal, public relations, and communication skills.
• Implement major fundraisers.
• Establish a grant writing committee for the school.

It is hoped that these initiatives will stimulate and boost enrollment to 200 plus students in the school by the Fall of 2001.

The Lay Leadership Day for Cluster 23 will be held on October 14, 2001 at St. Edmond Parish Hall. To prepare for this event, the homilies on the four preceding Sundays will focus on lay leadership themes; namely, our call to holiness, to community, to mission and ministry, and to adulthood/Christian maturity. Anyone who is involved in any ministry in the parishes of the Cluster will be invited to attend this important gathering.

The Implementation Team reviewed the second action under Goal # 2 of the Cluster 23 Pastoral Plan, which states the following: The parishes of St. Aloysius and King of Peace twin in 2000 and subsequently close in 2002 unless a review would indicate otherwise. The review in 2002 would include demographic and financial viability of these parishes. It would be the responsibility of the Cluster leadership to follow up on this proposal.

Time Schedule:

St. Aloysius and King of Peace parishes
(begin review) September, 2001

St. Aloysius and King of Peace parishes
(decision) July 1, 2002

Formal evaluations will begin in the parishes of St. Aloysius and King of Peace in September, 2001. These two parishes will be reviewed separately. The procedure for such evaluation is being determined.